After singing at weddings for a few years, he joined with several other choristers to form a group named The Mistletones in 1980. He also sang the national anthems at Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs games since 1988 and continues to do so. From 1984 through 1992 he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun, Conrad Black heard him singing at company parties. Black, along with other executives, financed McDermott's independent recording of "Danny Boy" in 1992, which was picked up and released in North America by EMI Music Canada. Following this unexpected success, McDermott decided to pursue a professional singing career.
John has annual concerts world wide, and can be seen from Toronto, to Boston, to New York, to Glasgow.
McDermott performed his first concert at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 5, 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there he continued to tour the rest of Canada, performing as an opening act for The Chieftains. Throughout 1994 he went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, following the great success of Danny Boy, which had been ranked Number 1 on the charts there and achieved triple platinum in New Zealand. Next, in 1995 he went on a tour of the United Kingdom with The Seekers.
At this point in his career he was becoming recognized internationally, so he started to tour regularly as a solo act rather than an opening act. He also appeared at several special events including the D-Day ceremonies in France in 1995, and the US Democratic National Convention in 1996. He has also appeared on TV several times, both as a host of CBC Television concert specials in 1997, and in his own television special titled John McDermott: A Time to Remember which aired on PBS in 2002.
McDermott formed The Irish Tenors and after performing a large concert in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, they spent some time touring the US, appearing on TV, and releasing a gold record.
Since leaving The Irish Tenors, McDermott continues to tour extensively throughout the World, performing with his own group and with the great symphonies of the world. He continues to work to support the veteran community in the United States and in Canada. In 2000 McDermott dedicated McDermott House in Washington DC, a transitional home for homeless veterans. His latest release Journeys-Bringing Buddy Home was recorded to help support fundraising for Fisher House Boston and launch the Canadian initiative for an outreach centre for Canadian Veterans.
By Yon Bonnie Banks
John McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
Oh you'll tak' the high road an' I'll tak' the low road
And I'll be in Scotland, afore ye
For me and my true love will never meet again
T'was there that we parted, in yon shady glen
On the steep, steep sides of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue, the highland hills we view
And the moon comin' out, in the gloamin'
Oh you'll tak' the high road an' I'll tak' the low
And I'll be in Scotland, afore ye
For me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
The wee birdies sing, and the wild flowers spring
And in sunshine the waters, are sleepin'
But the broken heart, a kens nae second spring again
Tho' the waeful may cease frae their greetin'
Oh you'll tak' the high road an' I'll tak' the low
And I'll be in Scotland, afore ye
For me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
The lyrics to John McDermott's "By Yon Bonnie Banks" is a Scottish folk song that tells the story of two lovers who are forced to part ways. The song is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Loch Lomond, where the sun shines bright on the bonnie banks and braes. The first verse sets the tone for the song, where the singer mournfully declares that he and his true love will never meet again by the banks of Loch Lomond. The second verse provides some hope for the singer, as he declares that he will take the low road while his love takes the high road, with the promise that they will both meet in Scotland.
The third verse is the most poignant, where the singer recalls the spot where he last parted from his love, in a shady glen on the steep sides of Ben Lomond. The highland hills are painted in a purple hue as the moon rises in the gloaming, creating a sad and wistful atmosphere. The fourth verse shifts the focus to the natural beauty that surrounds them, where the wee birdies sing and the wildflowers bloom. However, despite the beauty of nature, the broken heart cannot be mended, and the singer knows that his true love will never return to him.
Overall, the lyrics to "By Yon Bonnie Banks" are filled with imagery that evokes the melancholic beauty of the Scottish highlands. The song captures the Scottish spirit of lamentation and love for home and nature, making it a beloved folk song that continues to be sung and enjoyed by people all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes
On those beautiful hills and valleys
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where the sunlight highlights the beauty of Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love will never meet again
Where I lost my true love forever
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
On the beautiful banks of Loch Lomond
Oh you'll tak' the high road an' I'll tak' the low road
You'll choose the easier path, while I'll take a more difficult one
And I'll be in Scotland, afore ye
I'll be in Scotland before you
T'was there that we parted, in yon shady glen
It was there where we separated in a cooling valley
On the steep, steep sides of Ben Lomond
On the treacherous slopes of Ben Lomond
Where in purple hue, the highland hills we view
Where we observed the hills of highlands glowing purple
And the moon comin' out, in the gloamin'
And the moon appearing in the twilight
The wee birdies sing, and the wild flowers spring
The small birds sing, and the wildflowers bloom
And in sunshine the waters, are sleepin'
The waters are still during the day
But the broken heart, a kens nae second spring again
But a broken heart never fully mends
Tho' the waeful may cease frae their greetin'
Even though sadness may eventually fade
Oh you'll tak' the high road an' I'll tak' the low
You'll choose the easier path, while I'll take a more difficult one
And I'll be in Scotland, afore ye
I'll be in Scotland before you
For me and my true love will never meet again
Because I lost my true love forever
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
On the beautiful banks of Loch Lomond
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bob C
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
Chorus:
O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
'Twas there that we parted, in yon shady glen,
On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomond,
Where in purple hue, the hieland hills we view,
And the moon coming out in the gloaming.
Chorus
The wee birdies sing and the wildflowers spring,
And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.
But the broken heart it kens, nae second spring again,
Though the waeful may cease frae their grieving.
Chorus
BornInJordan
One of the most beautiful melodies ever.
Cindy Martinez
Lovely and moving, stirs the emotions; and John McDermott was born to sing this poetry.
Ginger Beer
John McDermott is one of the best singers of Scottland ever, if not THE best next to Andy M. Stewart from Silly Wizard.
They have voices that touch the soul.
Marcin Drzewiecki
I'm from Poland, we have lots of heartbreaking songs, yet it's deeply touching and makes my tears flowing.
Penny Chandler
John McDermott's singing of this, is the best I've ever heard.
Brandi Lee
My brother sat and listened to this song on repeat after our father's funeral... Miss you Dad <3
Rosa Estrada
From the first line I heard you sing Mr. McDermott---you instantly became one of my top favorite Celtic singers! I hope I get to meet you! I am going to buy one of your CDs asap...
LadyGreyCarolyn
His singing is indeed very beautiful! Thanks a lot for your comment :-)
Joy Campos Villanueva
Can someone post the lyrics please?
What a touchy song, beautifully sung by Sir John McDermott 💖
Greetings from the 🇵🇭 2021, February.
AnnRI29
What a beautiful, beautiful song. I've loved listening to it since I was small. Even though I didn't really understand the lyrics back then, it was touching and sad to me even in its beauty. Thank you for sharing this.